I'll see you and raise you
(or lower you, as the case may be).
A couple of weeks ago, I was chatting online with my cousin and his wife. (For purposes of this conversation, it helps to know that they live in the St. Paul area and that they're an electrical engineer and a food scientist, respectively.)
Cousin: How are you?
Me: I'm good. Cold. Spring hasn't hit Maine yet.
Cousin's Wife: Yeah, here neither. Although it has gotten up to 40.
Me: Oh. Balmy. ;)
W: And the sunshine makes it look like spring.
C: The 40 is in Kelvin.
Me: Ha! Well, here it's in Rankine.
C: You beat me on that one. I have no idea what that is.
W: Oh dear. Is that the unit they use on the 100 Hour Board?
Me: For your purposes, it's colder. That's all you need to know.
C: Never match wits with a librarian.
[Rankine is the Fahrenheit answer to Kelvin. So 0 K = 0 R, but for any temperature value above absolute zero, Rankine will be colder because it's equal to 5/9 Kelvin.]
2 Comments:
And that is why I read your blog: because after I get over the initial shock of feeling a lot stupider than I normally feel (and simultaneously wondering, "How the heck is she so brilliant?"), I go read up and learn something new.
Thanks.
.
I've learned something again!
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